Labor of Love
The Link Between Emotion Work (Dis)similarity, Relationship, and Sexual Well-Being in Couples
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24137604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Francisca M Moreira (0009-0002-9416-4307, Universidade do Porto), Inês M Tavares (0000-0002-2614-4243, Universidade Lusófona do Porto) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Sex Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4499 • E-ISSN: 1559-8519 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00224499.2026.2718807 |
| PMID | 42657872 |
| OpenAlex | W7204481577 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 48 |
dissimilar emotion work and whether specific patterns of couples' similarity may uniquely contribute to their relationship and sexual well-being. We found no evidence of congruence effects; however, the response surface findings suggested that when both partners reported higher levels of emotion work, couples reported greater relationship satisfaction and sexual well-being (i.e. higher sexual desire and lower sexual distress), but also greater relationship conflict. These results underscore the importance of both partners' active engagement in emotion work toward each other and suggest that effectively managing differences may be more beneficial than striving for a perfect match.
Congruence (geometry) · Emotion work · Sexual attraction · Sexual desire · Sexual relationship · Similarity (geometry) · Work (physics) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Emotional Labor in Professions · Work-Family Balance Challenges
The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model
The sexual desire inventory
Others Sometimes Know Us Better Than We Know Ourselves
Testing Similarity Effects with Dyadic Response Surface Analysis
Longitudinal Modeling with Randomly and Systematically Missing Data
Polynomial Regression with Response Surface Analysis
Testing the ruler with item response theory
Dyadic Validation of the Partner Emotion Work Scale
The Heteronormativity Theory of Low Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men
Response Surface Analysis in Personality and Social Psychology
The Managed Heart
Discrepancy in Personality Perceptions Is Related to Relationship Satisfaction
Sexual satisfaction in long‐term heterosexual relationships
Factors Associated with Relationship Satisfaction
Gendered emotion work around physical health problems in mid- and later-life marriages
Gender, Emotion Work, and Relationship Quality
Caring about carelessness
Perceived Partner Responsiveness Moderates the Associations Between Sexual Talk and Sexual and Relationship Well-Being in Individuals in Long-Term Relationships
Personality Correlates of Conflict Resolution Modes
When sex is more than just sex
A longitudinal test of the investment model
Intimately connected
Not in the mood? Men under- (not over-) perceive their partner’s sexual desire in established intimate relationships
A labor of love? Emotion work in intimate relationships
Reconceptualizing Family Work
Invisible Work
Acts of Love (and Work)
Regression Diagnostics
Love and Intimacy
Challenges and Opportunities for Research on Same-Sex Relationships
The Performance of Desire
Why emotion work matters
Emotion Work, Feeling Rules, and Social Structure
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |